Electric valve



1,488,337 H. GERNSBACK ELECTRIC VALVE Mafrch 25 1924.`

Filed May 14. 1921 Patented Mar. 25, 1924.

UNITED STATES i P HUGO GERNSBACK, ort- NEW YORK, iv. Y.

nnno'rmc VALVE.

wim/tion med may 14, 1921. serial No. 469,649.

v T all'whom t may concem condenser 15.

Anumeral 1 designates the .Be it known that I, HUGO GERNsAcK, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Valves,

of which the following is 'a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electric valves commonly known as audions.

The objects of the invention are to increase' the efliciency and sensiti'veness of said valves, and to produce a more simple construction than heretofore employed.'

I have found that a filament heated to red or white incandescence in contact with the wallof ahighly exhausted glass bulb produces a remarkably high current between the filament and an outside external electrode. -The electronic iiow is made to pass between the filament and the outside element, although these two elements are not in metallic contact.

Under the heat of the filament, the wall of the glass vessel becomes a conductor which allows theelectronic charge -to pass.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown several illustrations of electric circuits in which the audion is mounted. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit of a wireless apparatus employing the invention,

Figure 2 is a slightly modified form, and,

Figure 3 is a view of one form of cooling means employed in connection with the invention.

Referring-to the drawings, the reference ody portionvof which is preferably formed of a the valve,

tube in which a high degree of hollow glass 'vacuum is maintained. A filament 2 is arranged within the bulb or globe contacting with the wall thereot` atone point, asl-at 3. The two ends of the filament are passed through the globe, as at 4, and connected to lead wires 5 and 6, leading to a source of current 7. A metal sleeve 8 is arranged around the clip adjacent the contact 3. This sleeve is in circuit with the coils 9 of a transformer 10, by means of a lead wire 11. A telephone receiver 12 may be' arranged in the /wire 11. The opposite end of the coil 9 is connected to the wire 5 by a connection 13, the wires 5 and 11 being provided with a connection 14, Filssing through a variable e coil 10 is grounded, as

.ductive when heated to a sel becomes at 16, and is provided with anantenna 17, at its other end. t

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the filament 2 contacts with the globe in asimilar manner and is connected to the source of current 7, as in the forni shown in Figure 1 of thc drawings. In this form of the invention, a pair of contacts 18 and 19 are arranged on the outside of the bulb, one of the contacts being connected to a source of current 20 by a lead wire 21. The opposite terminal of the source of current is provided with connected to the wire 5, and having atelephone receiver 23 arranged therein. In this form of the invention, the lead wire 11 which is connected to the coil 9 is provided with a condenser 24. i

Due to the excessive heat developed at the point of contact between the filament and the glass vessel, itl is necessary to provide some cooling means. Any suitable means may be employed for thispurpose. In Figure 3 ofthe drawings, vI have showna pipe 25, arranged adjacent the globe 1 and adapta lead wire 22, i

ed to spray water orother cooling fluid on the metal contact 8.4 Any suitable 4means maybe employed for as illustrated at 26.

The filament when ener ized by the source of current 7 heats the glo e 1 whichis normaily non-conductive, but it becomes confairly high temperature. When the glass wall of the vesconductive, current iows through the wire 11 from the source of current 7 in the form shown in Figure 1 of the collecting the water,

drawings and from the sourceof current 20 l in the form shown in Figure 2 of the drawings,to the wire 11, and thence to the coil 9. I have found that by means of the invention disclosed, a much more efficient valve is produced, due to its greater sensitiveness and its correspondingly increased eiiiciency.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention herewith shown and described are to be taken 'as preferred examples of the same, and thatv various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of .the subjoined claims.

e Having thus described my invention, ,I

claim: v

1. An electric valve .comprising a bulb, a filament arranged therein and vcontacting Wall of the bulb with the Wall of the bulb, an electric conuctor arranged in Contact with the outer and means for energizing said filament. A

2. An electric valve comprising a bulb, having a vacuum therein, a filament arranged in said bulb and contacting with the wall thereof at one point, an electric conductor arranged in contact with the outside of the bulb, and means for energizing said filament.

3. An electric valve comprising a bulb, a filament arranged therein and contacting with the Wall of the bulb, a metallic ring arranged on the outside of the bulb, said ring forming a conductor, and means for energizing said filament. i

4. An electric valve comprising a bulb, a filament arranged therein and contacting with the wall of the bulb, an electriccon- 20 ductor arranged in contact with the outside wall of the bulb, means for energizing said filament, and means for cooling said bulb. 5. An electric valve comprising a bulb, a filament arranged in said bulb and extending substantially longitudinally thereof from end to end, the central portlon of said filament being curve and .contacting with thev Wall of the bulb, means forenergizin said filament, and a metallic ring-arranged 3o on the exterior of said bulb and forming a conductor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses. HUGO GERNSBACK. A Witnesses:

D. KANTROWITZ, M. FRoEWiss. 

